Drowned Country is the sequel to Silver in the Wood, which I am sad to say is apparently only a duology! Weeps forever.

Where Silver in the Wood started us off with a beautiful eerie forest setting, Drowned Country is different. Instead we find the eerie more through our characters who are trying to just find their way in the world as the end of the last novella changed it for them. Especially Henry is finding it hard to find his way as the new wild man of the forest.

Next to finding some of our eeriness in the characters we do find the forest in a part of the story. Henry can only go as far as the forest but the forest used to be so much bigger. He finds a part underwater as he becomes bait in his mothers plans. I found that especially interesting, how he could connect with the older parts of the forest, the ones that technically didn’t exist anymore.
We also get some creepy ass fairies. No cutie tiny fairies here but those bend on taking it all. Which added to the setting. But most of all, the story is about our characters. About Henry who struggles with who he is now. About trying to hold on to the past when there is only the present.

In moments it gave me the absolute warm fuzzies. For the cuties Henry and Tobias. But also tiny things as Henry feeling guilty about what happened to his mom. The way he cares about the young girl they are trying to save (who by the way doesn’t quite need saving in the way they thought). I just wanted to hug them all.

And even though this is a novella duology I do hope that Emily Tesh will continue writing with these characters with some different settings. Because the team up at the end there just makes me want it. The girl they’ve taken in driving mom Silver and Tobias up a wall while Henry eggs her on. I wants it.

The characters are interesting, pretty realistic. There were spots where my attention slipped, but I still enjoyed the story.

Copy provided by NetGally for an honest review

Some minor spoilers may be mentioned

I am so so happy to have been recommend Emily Tesh. Back last year when Silver in the Wood was doing the rounds, all my friends were talking about it. And for good reasons too. There was something...just right about it. I mean, I'm a fan of all things whimsy, and fairies and fairy tales always tick the box for me.

Drowned Country brings us back to Silver and Tobias Finch, two years after the events of Silver in the Woods. Silver, being the pampered dolt he is, has gone and fucked things up with Tobias. I can't say I expected that, when we left off last, things were just beginning. Alas. The bulk of the story is such; Silver's mother, ageing monster hunter, needs the power of the Wood to help track down a vampire. Only for us to find out that was just a feint. I'm glad, honestly. I feel like monster hunting is far too common within the genre sometimes, so having found out that that whole scenario was already taken care of and we can move on to the next, is rather nice for a change.

Instead of getting a story about vampire hunting, we get two academics charting their way to fairyland. Now, I'll say that this is where the story lost me a little. But only a little. I do wish it was longer, with things more fleshed out. There are parts of this that are so compelling and fascinating and just leave me wanting more. But, on the whole of it, it wasn't something that distracted me from the story.

Tesh has some wonderful writing in both this and in Silver on the Tree. Silver, and the taciturn Tobias feel like fleshed out people - something I always find impressive in the shorter form fiction. I swear, I spent half of the story yelling at them "get back together, be happy, you idiot!", which I guess brings me full circle towards being on of those types who's far too invested in fictional characters.

All in all, Drowned Country is a whimsical, gorgeously written story. It's simple in scope, but what it does it does oh so well. Recommended for fans of the Fey, those who love tight stories, and above all smarmy idiots who grow up at the end of the day.

I don't usually get into short stories but this series in general didn't feel like a short story.

These books are so well written and descriptive that you just get sucked right in! I didn't want to put it down.

I'm a sucker for anything "green man" and folklore! This series does not dissapoint. So much creativity and intrigue.

The characters are dynamic and cared about them in the short times I've had with them.

If you like folklore, magic and a good love story, I HIGHTLY reccomend this series!

5 stars and a huge thanks to Netgalley and Publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the first book in this series, and gulped this one down the second it landed on my kindle. These characters are just brilliant, and the magic is unique and inventive. You could read this for the lush descriptions of nature alone and still have a great time.

I’ll be honest: I wasn’t initially of the opinion that Silver in the Wood necessitated a sequel. Sure, I wasn’t complaining, but it also felt a good standalone in itself. I have since changed my mind completely and now I’m 100% sure that this world and characters need an entire 10-book series.

Drowned Country picks off a couple of years after Silver in the Wood. Silver is now the Wood’s guardian, while Tobias is helping Silver’s mother investigating supernatural sightings and events around the country. For reasons to be later explained, Silver and Tobias have had a falling out, but even Silver cannot avoid the summons of his mother to investigate a vampire in Rothport.

Firstly, I think it safe to say this book is even better than the first one. The first sort of read more like a fantasy novella with a romance within it. The second reads like a romance with a fantasy sideplot. And I loved that. Especially since Silver is such a fun character to read from the POV of. He is the very definition of a gay disaster.

Since the book feels more like a romance novella, obviously it is Tobias and Silver’s relationship that drives it all. And it’s written so well. The pining in this book is almost tangible it’s that good.

Which is also why it leaves you wanting so much more of the characters and the world. Like, it’s one of those books where you just want to carry on living in it a while longer, following the characters on their adventures (I mean, what I wouldn’t give to see Tobias and Silver investigating the supernatural together…). You don’t want to put it down while reading it but you also want to savour it because you don’t want to get to the point where you have nothing more of it to read.

Basically it’s an excellent book.

So, if you haven’t read book 1 yet, now’s your time. Because you’re not going to want to miss out on this.

What a wonderful wonderful story this is. I loved Silver in the Wood and I loved this one too! It was, however very different from the previous novella. The tone and atmosphere was very different. The world was expanded and the magic and lore was explored in wild and spectacular ways but it it's the same as Silver in the Woods. It is different. It is not as quaint and quiet and charming and poignant. Drowned Country is a little more feral, a little chaotic and cloying. The biggest difference is probably due to the perspective changing from Tobias to Silver. It was still enthralling and exciting and emotional and honestly more my speed than the previous novella. I liked how Silver hurt a more sharply, felt too deeply and simultaneously loved and hated the magical world around them.
The central romance was developed more and had lots of ups and downs but overall I'm very happy with the development and the ending
I'd highly recommend both this novella and its predecessor to anyone who'd be willing to listen

I absolutely loved Drowned Country. It was soft and sweet, hopeful by turns and then full of despair. But it never gave up, and the characters' lives turned out like a fairy tale.Once again, Tesh's writing is lush and descriptive, immersing you in a world of trees, moss, and decay. The supernatural for the most part seems natural, but the dramatic masque (no spoilers) was chilling nonetheless.

*Puts down Kindle.*

*Stares out window for a long, long, time.*

*Leaves to find the Hallow Wood.*

HOW DID I NOT KNOW OF THIS SERIES BEFORE???? I'M FURIOUS IT HAS TAKEN SO LONG FOR THESE BOOKS TO COME ONTO MY RADAR. Full disclosure, I haven't read the first book in Emily Tesh's duology, but you can bet your favourite cat that I'll be reading it soon. I'm desperate to find out what happened with Fay! But DROWNED COUNTRY stands remarkably well on its own, yet another entry in the Tor.com series that is unfairly, hauntingly, mind-reshuffingly good.

Seriously, these Tor novellas are always outstanding. Emily Tesh continues the tradition of cramming complicated, vast universes into less than 200 pages, complete with a cast of characters who stole my heart from the offset. I loved Silver, the playfully powerful, wayward Wild Man; Tobias, his former lover AND former Wild Man; Maud, a serious scholar determined to find Fairyland; and Mrs Silver, the indomitable monster-hunter with the arguably more difficult role of being Silver's mother. The plant-based magic system feels so ALIVE, taking us through drowned forests and dead worlds, and ... oh, I could go on forever.

Just ... read it. Please.

If you like historical fantasy, strange forests, plenty of queerness, and romantic abbey ruins hiding sinister occupants, you need DROWNED COUNTRY. Even if you don't like those things (in which case, you are very wrong) you need DROWNED COUNTRY.

Anyway, I'm off to the woods.

An interesting story ... different from the typical fantasies. Fairies being ugly and demented instead of beautiful and powerful...

All in all it was an interesting read, but strange. Not one I would be interested in keeping on my shelves.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Tor.com for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.*

Representation: Gay MC, m/m romance, queer side characters.

Emily Tesh returns with the magical sequel to Silver in the Woods and this time it’s from Henry’s point of view.

“Who was he, if not Henry Silver, gentlemen scholar, hunter of secrets, lover of fairy tales?”

Drowned Country takes place two years after Silver in the Woods and follows most of the cast from the first novella, with the addition of one badass female and some extra scary creatures.

This novella was as beautiful and haunting as the first. Henry was a wonderful protagonist and there was no shortage of badassary from the unstoppable Mrs Sliver:

“Nothing very much frightened him. Was he not the Lord of the Wood, nearer demigod than mortal man, master of time and seasons, beasts and birds, earth and sky?
“Your mother is here,” said Bramble.
Silver froze.”

I was a little put off in the beginning, the novella started in a direction I wasn’t expecting but everything happens for a reason. I trusted the author and the ending well and truly payed out.

Overall- I loved Drowned Country and I adore both Henry and Tobias. On June 16th prepare yourselves because you’re all in for a treat.

What a lovely follow up to the first novella! Tesh writes such tender emotions, I was almost crying at the end of the story. It's a quiet read and a lovely one. A perfect book for a rainy afternoon or late night. I wouldn't read this as a standalone, although there isn't anything stopping you, other than some large spoilers for Silver in the Wood.

The feelings I had while reading this are similar to the ones I feel every time I read a book from Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series. Like- there's some beautiful fey magic going on that somehow keeps me coming back despite some pretty serious issues.

Between this and The Monster of Elendhaven I guess my new favorite genre is dark seaside town fantasy featuring supernatural gay yearning.

It wasn't as well put together as the first one I think-- it didn't flow quite as rightly, but it did come together nicely at the end. I wish we'd stayed a bit closer to the wood, since the fae plot felt a bit shoehorned, but I was happy with the ending. Silver isn't a likes le protagonist, but damn is he relatable and enjoyable one.